Food export from Thailand to Qatar goes up by 30%: Envoy

Ailyn AgoniaDohaTHE export of food products from Thailand to Qatar witnessed 30 percent increase this year compared to last year, according to Thailand's Ambassador to Qatar HE Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum.The exports of automobile parts increased by 10 percent during this period, said the ambassador during the celebration of the National Day of Thailand and the Birth Anniversary of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej as well as Thailand's Father's Day hosted by the Thailand Embassy at St Regis Hotel Doha on Tuesday.Soonthorn underscored the commitment of his country to further strengthen its relationship with Qatar amidst the current situation in the region.The event was graced by Qatar's Minister of Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh al Sada, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmad Hassan al Hamadi, Director of the Protocol Department Ambassador Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhroo, Ambassador of Eritrea to the State of Qatar and Dean of the Diplomatic Corp HE Ali Ibrahim Ahmed and a number of ambassadors and other diplomats."On the economic front, the ongoing crisis does not deter Thailand from her strong determination to strengthen existing ties with Qatar. Last year, the total volume of trade between our two countries stood at $2.73 billion while it reached $2.46 billion between January and October this year. We are optimistic that this year's trade volume will surpass that of last year. Qatar remains the biggest supplier of LNG to my country," Ambassador Soonthorn said.The ambassador also underscored the growing popularity of his country as a destination for tourists from Qatar with 33,000 Qataris and 11,000 expatriates having visited Thailand last year either for holidays or medical treatment. He mentioned that Qatar Airways will be launching a new service to Chiang Mai Province in the north of Thailand on December 12 and will add U-Tapao near Pattaya as its fifth destination in January, 2018,offering altogether 60 flights a week and expanding its reach beyond the already popular destinations of Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi. Soonthorn expressed his appreciation for Qatari leadership for the strong diplomatic relations between the two countries for the last 37 years and support to the Thai community. He also expressed support to the mediation efforts of Kuwait in the current GCC crisis and reiterated the importance of promoting peace, security and stability in the Middle East.Furthermore, the ambassador expressed Thailand's commitment to play a constructive role in ASEAN and the international community. He also shared the current economic outlook of his country. "The Thai government is committed to upholding democratic values such as rule of law, good governance, transparency and respect for human rights, as well as to enhancing relations with all partners and playing a constructive role in ASEAN and the international community. With the new Constitution in place, the country is going to have a general election next year. Meanwhile, our economy continues to grow steadily. This year's GDP growth is expected to be around 3.5 to 4 percent, with infrastructure investment, exports and tourism considered key drivers of the economy."He added,"The government is committed to the new development strategy of Thailand 4.0 which fosters innovative business and investment environment, and gives priority to investment in advanced industries such as new generation automotive, robotic, bio-technology, digital and creative economy, and medical hub. Ten Special Economic Zones have also been set up along the border of Thailand to complement regional connectivity boom. All of these give rise to new opportunities for business and investment in Thailand and ASEAN."